In 1977, skate parks began cropping up all over the place, including Skateboard USA, where Gelfand began to spend most of his time. His buddy, Scott Goodman, is the one who gave Gelfand the nickname of “Ollie” and dubbed his aerial lipside the “ollie-pop.” Pictures of Gelfand during this time period clearly show him getting airborne and performing the trick associated with his name today.

Finally, just roll away. If this sounds simple, then great – get out there and practice! If this sounds too complicated, don’t worry. Just go slow, and take your time. There is no time limit to learn how to ollie – some people learn in a day, and I know one guy that took over a year to learn how to ollie on his skateboard. Also, like with most things in skateboarding, your body is learning how to ollie more than your mind is. So, with practice, you’ll eventually get it.
Invented in the late 1970s by Alan "Ollie" Gelfand, the ollie has become a skateboarding fundamental, the basis for many other more complicated tricks. In its simplest form, the ollie is a jumping technique that allows skaters to hop over obstacles and onto curbs, etc. What's so amazing about the ollie is the way the skateboard seems to stick to the skater's feet in midair. Seeing pictures of skaters performing soaring 4-foot ollies, many people assume that the board is somehow attached to the skater's feet. It's not. What's even more amazing about the ollie is that to get the skateboard to jump up, the skater pushes down on the board! The secret to this paradoxical maneuver is rotation around multiple axes. Let's take a closer look.
I have skated for about 7 years i took a 2 year break. I have had about 50 boards and from that id say this board is ok seeing as iv had zero's break day one. if your newer to skateboarding and you dont mind the cost i would say go for it. For more hardcore skaters there are some things you should know about this board. im not 100% about the trucks day one just doing kickflips 360 flips smaller gaps.. its a bit shaky i dont think these trucks are make for stairs or big gaps but they will do till i have the cash for some thunders. the bearings are hit or miss one is on its way to being blow out the others seem to be fine. I got to say i really like the wheels there was not much info on them but they are smaller and harder and i love harder wheels i hit a nice nolie 360 first try and the sound of the slide took me back to the good days. As for the board i cant judge it off one day of skating but from the looks of it its not a knock off. Here are some tips for buying a board online. find real skaters in the comments dont buy a board because a dad said his kid loves it. When you get the board go over all the parts and look over your board well make sure there are no defects in the board. make sure the board is not waterlogged a few taps should tell you. if you dont know anything about skateboards ask a friend to help and if you find any defects send it back right away. I hope the review helps you.
Shock pads are made of polyurethane and rubber. They are very similar to risers but vary in the fact that their sole purpose is to cushion the board from the trucks. Since the trucks are metal and the board wood, whenever the board hits the ground after doing a trick, the energy goes through the truck to the board ─ this has caused boards to crack, split, or even break in half, and shock pads were created to prevent this.
The rider begins the ollie by crouching and jumping directly upward. As the rider begins to leap, instead of lifting the feet from the board, he/she "pops" the tail by striking it against the ground, which raises the board nose-first. Maintaining contact with the board, the rider lifts the front leg and bends the front ankle so that the outer or top side of the shoe slides towards the nose of the board. The friction between the shoe and the board's grip tape helps to guide and pull the board upward, while the rear foot only maintains slight contact with board to help guide it. When nearing the peak of the jump, the rider lifts the rear leg and pushes the front foot forward, which levels the board and keeps it in contact with the back foot.

In most cases, it is available in black but you can also find clear ones that are ideal for you if you want to show a specific logo. Another nice choice that you have is the die-cut grip tape, which works in displaying the color or design of the deck beneath it. Make sure to choose a grip tape at a size, which perfectly suits your skateboard’s deck.

Skateboard hardware is used to connect the skateboard trucks to the skateboard deck. Skateboard hardware refers to the bolts and locknuts used when building a board. The bolts can have an Allen or Phillips head. Skateboard hardware comes in many different lengths, and often includes one different colored bolt so that the rider can mark the nose of their board.
Crouch down – While you’re standing on the board with your feet in the right position, crouch down closer towards the board. Don’t turn into a hunchback here; keep your back as straight as possible and don’t stick your rear out too far off the board, otherwise you’ll mess the whole thing up. Stay on the balls of your feet too; if you’re more on your toes, you’ll actually move the board in air and land off of it, and no one wants that. If you need to readjust your feet before you jump, just do a little micro-jump to reposition your feet, or shuffle into position. The first way is easier and faster, the second is more awkward and can mess up your shoes.
Smile and wave – Feel free to look around at all the other people at the skatepark that stood by and marveled at your new-found accomplishments (all one of them). I’m sure by this point you’ll be picking up roses that are being thrown at your feet, and taking a well-deserved bow as they begin to chant your name. Take it all in, thank the crowd for their undying affection, and then go get a snow-cone. You deserve it, champ.
The problem with wheel bite is that it tends to stop the motion of the wheels. This can result not only in a bad wipeout for the rider but also damage to the wheels. With the help of the riser pads, it is easier for you to preserve the deck of your skateboard since these pads can reduce the tendency of having stress cracks on where the trucks and deck meet.
The laws for skateboarding helmets vary from state to state. Many states require that skaters wear a helmet under a certain age, and some states like California make all skaters under 18 wear a CPSC Certified helmet at all times. CSPC skateboard helmets usually have an EPS protective liner that meets the safety standards for skateboarding. Make sure you check your state's regulations before ordering.
The top part of the truck is screwed to the deck and is called the baseplate, and beneath it is the hanger. The axle runs through the hanger. Between the baseplate and the hanger are bushings, also rubbers or grommets, that provide the cushion mechanism for turning the skateboard. The bushings cushion the truck when it turns. The stiffer the bushings, the more resistant the skateboard is to turning. The softer the bushings, the easier it is to turn. Bushings come in varying shapes and urethane formulas as well as durometers, which may affect turning, rebound and durability. A bolt called a kingpin holds these parts together and fits inside the bushings. Thus by tightening or loosening the kingpin nut, the trucks can be adjusted loosely for better turning and tighter for more stability (useful when landing tricks). Standard kingpin nut size is 3/8" - 24tpi. The position of the hanger respect to the baseplate is also determined by the pivot, a rod that slots into the corresponding seat in the baseplate. The pivot stops the hanger from rotating around the kingpin. The pivot must allow some movement around the bushings and therefore is not a perfect fit. The space between the pivot and its seat in the baseplate is filled by a pivot cup, a plastic part that will take most of the wear and tear of the pivot and assist in centering the hanger needs to be lubricated every so often.
My son seems to have a lot of fun riding this skateboard. He will be out there doing tricks for hours. One evening when he took a break, I decided to see if I could still ride. When I took off down the driveway, I could feel how smoothly the wheels rolled. I used to have to pay extra for wheels like this when I was his age. Lost in thought, I coasted faster, and my neighbour didn't see me when I shot out of the driveway. Even though this thing flew several feet in the air, bounced, and came to rest more than 20 feet away, it had no visible damage! Not so for me. I loved the skateboard, but am now recovering from two broken ribs, torn neck cartilage, and a cracked pelvis. Still, this board rides like a dream!
Unlike some deck options, which are completely bare, the Bamboo Skateboards Galaxy Series Cosmic Cloud Skateboard Deck features heat-stamped artwork on the underside of the board, including several geometric and interstellar designs, including a beautiful nebula. Bamboo Skateboards claims these boards last their customers three weeks longer than other decks. The company sells the boards in three sizes: 7.75-by-31.5-inches, 8-by-31.75-inches and 8.25-by-32-inches.
I have been doing ollie’s for about a year to a year and a halve, but thats not the problem. My problem is the board turns when i ollie, i cant help it, i am starting to go into harder ground (ollying off ledges and ollying stairs) but i cant land and ride away because my board has turned in a 45 degree angle and it jerks me off the board, Please help in all you can, cheers mate.
My problem is Everytime I try to pop the back it’s not hard enough and I get no air. The article says to jump up so I do it physically and sometimes it seems to help. But when I watch skate videos and other skaters It doesn’t appear they are actually jumping up. They just seem to be popping the board. So should I physically jump? May sound stupid but it’s something I struggle with.

One foot on the tail, (by foot I mean the ball of the foot which is just behind the big toe) the other foot is about an inch behind the bolts(screws) for the front truck. Basically, the back foot quickly pushes the tail down, and right when the tail of the board strikes the ground, the back foot jumps up… the tail of the board will follow up with the foot when the front foot slides forward slightly, which pivots the tail of the board upwards. Since the front truck comes off the ground first, getting the back truck up is the trick.

My problem is Everytime I try to pop the back it’s not hard enough and I get no air. The article says to jump up so I do it physically and sometimes it seems to help. But when I watch skate videos and other skaters It doesn’t appear they are actually jumping up. They just seem to be popping the board. So should I physically jump? May sound stupid but it’s something I struggle with.
The ollie is a skateboarding trick where the rider and board leap into the air without the use of the rider's hands.[1] It is basically the combination of popping, sliding, and jumping on the skateboard all at the same time. Originated in vertical skateboarding, and later on flat ground, it is not intuitively obvious how the liftoff is achieved, making the movement visually striking.
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It wouldn’t be until the early 1980’s however, that a man named Rodney Mullen fully developed the skateboard ollie and brought it into vogue. Competing in the Rusty Harris contest in Whittier, California in 1982, Rodney Mullen used a back and forth motion on his skateboard to strike the back end of the board on the ground and using the front end to level the board out in mid-air – all from a flat surface. The audience’s jaws collectively hit the ground.

My fiancee purchased this via my account and he says that it has good concave shape and pop.Assembling was fairly simple, easier if you have a box cutter on hand to help with laying the grip tape. The deck was the best part but the bearings were good too. He thought the bushings were the worst, after about two hours of skating, both bushings were crushed and stuck in one direction. He's been skating for almost 13 years. Hope this helps!

4 amazing skateboards in one nice lot. 1. 1990's Tony Hawk Conplete Skateboard, original falcon 3 design. With Rekon trucks and firelite classic wheels. 2. Sk8mafia Lucero deck. Signed by John Lucero. Brand new deck. 3. 1031 deck signed by entire team on a brand new creepy crawl deck. 4. Brand new super rare Big Mess deck with Blast design. This deck is extremely rare and is a must have for any collector. Both the signed decks are personalized to a guy named Jason that owned a skate shop here in Grant's Pass Or. Those guys were on his wall for a long time before he went out of business. If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. Thanks for looking. Steve